By Ian Holmes

Nanaimo event in response to Trump presidency to see huge crowds

Jan 18, 2017 | 2:40 PM

NANAIMO — A global movement motivated by the U.S. president-elect is triggering a huge reaction in Nanaimo.

The Donald Trump era as U.S. president is a serious concern to people in the Nanaimo area, according to the organizer of an event happening in the harbour city.

Sonnet L’Abbe, a Vancouver Island University professor, is organizing a Women’s March on Washington event starting at Diana Krall Plaza at 10:00 a.m on Saturday, where hundreds of people are expected to gather.

“Canadians value diversity, Canadians value friendship and outreach to people who are different, we value women in the workplace and women being business leaders,” said L’Abbe. “We want to communicate that to each other, but we also communicate that to our government and to our own leaders by coming together like this.”

Several speeches are planned for Saturday’s event, including Nanaimo-Ladysmith NDP MP and status of women critic Sheila Malcolmson, who is scheduled to speak at Maffeo Sutton Park. The march to the nearby park from the plaza begins at 10:30, according to L’Abbe.

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A Facebook page for the event had more than 300 people committed to going as of Wednesday afternoon.

L’Abbe says Trump has made numerous comments that threaten the well-being of women.

“There are discussions in the States about defunding planned parenthood…that does a lot of education around preventing unwanted pregnancies and birth control for women of all ages,” she said.

L’Abbe hopes that everybody who shows up to the march leaves with a sense of solidarity.

“Everyone who gets together, women and men, has an experience of the number of people who are willing to get up off their couches to say, ‘I’m about respect, I’m about diversity, I’m about kindness.’”

There are more than 600 marches planned worldwide like the one happening in Nanaimo, according to the Women’s March on Washington website. There are 26 marches staged throughout Canada, according to the site, including one on Gabriola Island on Saturday at 9:45 a.m. at The Haven on Davis Rd.

The Women’s March on Washington events coincide with Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday.